


Dancin' around The Devil

by spaceberry



Series: Of Devil Hunters and Artisans of Arms [2]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: F/M, Nero is dense, Nico Is Bad At Feelings, Nico is a bad liar, Post DMC5, Smoking, nero sets the record straight on his relationship with Kyrie, nero shows signs of a crush, nico is still pining, these two are both tired as hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-10 00:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18648817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceberry/pseuds/spaceberry
Summary: In which Nero knows somethings up with Nico, but he's still too dense to put two and two together to make four.In his defense; Nico is dancing around the issue, and they both could use a nap.





	Dancin' around The Devil

He knows something's up with the mechanic.

And trust him, right now there's not much Nero knows, so the fact he can tell so easily something's up with Nico is frustrating. It's got a lot to do with how she looks at overture, her gaze seeming to cut into the breaker as he wears it.

"Did I do something?"

Nico attempts to light a cigarette, her lighter flicking but not producing flame. Taking it from her hands, Nero lights it. He might hate the smell and doesn't support the habit, but he knows Nico. If she's pissed or upset, letting her have a smoke will keep her from going off. It's not that he's scared, far from it, but he honestly doesn't want to make this into an argument.

He watches as the cherry on the cigarette glows as she takes a heavy drag, before she exhales the smoke in a thick puff. His gaze is focused on her lips as she exhales, and he wonders if she's wearing that gloss he'd seen her applying so frequently. "'Sides bustin' a breaker? Nah. At any rate 's a fixable problem."

It's silent for a while, the only sound audible in the RV being the sound of the hula dancing figure on the dash moving. Nico's lying, he knows as much by how flippant she's being.

"Alright. I'm calling bullshit. What's really wrong?"

If looks could kill, he'd be six feet under. Her eyes cut to him, and they're just as hard as the cold metal that makes up his arm. "Well lessee, the world's goin' to shit firs' off."

He can't help the chuckle.at that, despite her harsh look. "As if you didn't already think it was."

"That ain't what i mean an' you know it."

Nero thinks for a second, before scratching his head. "Fair point. What's next on the list?"

She flicks ash before she speaks. "I got a list of repairs on this baby I need to get too, if 'm gonna keep the wheels on the road, an' no time to do it."

Running a hand through short silver locks, he shakes his head. That definitely isn't the big issue here, especially since he's worked on the RV enough with her to know when it's not handling well. "You gonna keep dancin' around this, huh?"

"An' you're gonna keep pesterin' me til you get what you wanna hear. Well jokes on you, I ain't a cup, so I don't spill easy."

He throws his hands up. "Hey, I know when to back off, but you," his finger taps on the dash as he turns in his seat to face her. "You need to get whatever it is that's buggin' you outta your system."

"'M fine, Nero. My problems is my problems, not yours. 'Sides, your dumbass has enough on your plate without me dishin' out my issues."

He Can't argue with that, and things fall into a comfortable silence for a while. Soon enough the topic changes and they're back on their banter bullshit. It feels normal enough, but he can't shake the feeling Nico's upset.

* * *

 

It's after the Quiphloth falls that Nero notices it again, except this time, he witnesses her…what is she doing?

Now, don't get him wrong, he's not usually the type to peep on a lady, never has been, but he'd be lying if he said that wasn't what this felt like. Watching her right now felt like watching something he wasn't supposed to see. Blue eyes scan over her form as she runs her fingers over Overture, her hands seeming to touch lightly as she does. If she was repairing it, he wondered why bother? However, it's clear from how gentle the touch is that she's admiring her work, if it can be called admiring. There's something else there he can't put his finger on, and despite how gentle her fingers are, the mix of emotions visible on her face make her hard to read. Her expression is both hard and soft, making her face scared with a scowl that seems half hearted.

"You get off on your own work now?"

She physically recoils, grabbing the arm like a bat and looking like she's going to swing as he walks in. Shrugging off his coat, he settles in watching as Nico lowers the arm. "You're lucky I didn' clock you. An Whatsit to ya if I do? Takin' pride in my work is part of my gig."

"Yeah well, taking lust in one's work is just plain weird."

"As if you don't get a buzz coming back from a hunt, Mr. Sweet Surrender."

Nero laughs, pointing a finger at her with a smile. "Now you know that arm does a little more than than buzz."

"It's all about the sexual healin' yeah? Too bad you won't get to use it for it's real….uh purpose. Now that cha got your arm back, reckon you don't need it anyways." She hangs Overture on the wall behind her work bench, her boots clicking on the floor of the RV as she walks.

"Yeah well, wouldn't be too opposed to having one made like that prototype. Might make me popular with the ladies havin' something like that."

Nico looks at him, arms folding over her chest. Her tongue clicks as she looks at him over her glasses, a smirk pulling at her lips. "Don't let Kyrie hear you talking like that, pretty sure she wouldn' take to kindly to you bein' wit' other girls."

Nero's lips draw into a thin line. He knew he needed to address Kyrie and his relationship sometime, and now was as good a time as ever. Especially since Nico had brought her up so many times on this particular trip.

"You realize we ain't a thing right?"

His words linger in the van like the smoke from Nico's cigarettes. However, what he's not expecting is to see Nico visibly struggle for a second, her mouth flapping open like a fish as she seems to hunt for words.

"You're kiddin' righ', ain't no way you two are that cozy an' jus' friends." She leans against her work bench, arms still crossed as she cuts him a look. It's not cold, just one that's visibly shaken.

"Yup. Just friends. Kyrie's like a sister to me. I'd do a lot for her, and have done a lot for her in the past, but we ain't romantically involved." He said it easily, knowing it was the truth. Nero was used to people assuming they were a thing, practically everyone did, and usually he ignored it. Most folks were strangers that didn't matter, but it was high time he told one of the few who /did/ matter.

But he's not expecting the silence from Nico. She's remarkably quiet, unusually so. "Did I knock your socks off that badly?"

"I w-wear socks?" Despite her response trying to sound light, that stutters the give away. Something's up, but Nero can't put his finger on it yet.

"You better, with those boots I figure your feet would be torn to hell if you didn't." He said, watching as her hands fall to her side. "Now, you got anything you wanna ask? Better say it now, I can't read minds, yet."

Nico snorts rolling her eyes as she points at him. "Yet you can regrow an' arm. Though, if you start readin' minds imma have to ask someone to nerf you." She laughs, a smile cracking across her features. "But I'm fine. Jus' wasn' expectin' that is all."

"Most aren't. Dante had a duck fit when I broke the news to him after Fortuna. Kept saying I had to be shitting him, or at least something along those lines." Nero smiles at the memory, remembering Dante's dramatic speeches about the issue. It had been hell at the time, but in retrospect, it was funny as all fuck.

"Reckon he had reason too, but 'm glad you finally grew a pair an' told me." She steps towards the couch and settles down, leaning back into the cushions. "Probably woulda kept teasin' ya over it otherwise."

"Oh, so you're finally gonna be off my back about somethin'?"

"Jus' means I gotta find somethin' else. My teasin' is the gift that keeps on givin', an' you best not forget it." Her painted nails glint as she moves to grip her lighter, and he knows she's gonna light up again.

"Trust me, I've written that in my diary alongside every detail of your shrine to Dante." He can't help but grin at that memory, of how embarassed she'd been trying to hide the news articles she had detailing his exploits. It was kinda cute, and he wondered why she idolized him of all people. Or if she'd ever see him in a similar fashion, though, he didn't want the same… show of admiration she gave to Dante. He wanted it to be… different, than how she fondly looked at his uncle and his shenanigans. A desire he himself didn't indulge in often with his schedule.

She drops her cigarette, brown eyes wide as she looks at him with wide eyes. "M-my what? I-I didn't have one of t-those!" She's pink in the face, skin glowing underneath her freckles as she grabs her cigarette again. "An' k-keeping a diaries for lil bitches!"

"Says someone who meticulously keeps a diary of their daily events. I see you." He points a finger back at her, grinning at the other. "Speaking of things that kinda run in that alley, what's on the 21st?"

He smells smoke, and he knows she's officially lit as she takes a puff. "'Sides the solstice? Best day of the year for me, seeing as I was born on it."

Nero pauses. He hadn't expected to hear it was that her birthday was so close, and a part of him wonders…"A couple days ago, you weren't yourself, that the reason why?"

Nico goes quiet, puffing on her cancer stick before he takes it from her. She rolls her eyes, huffing as holds it outta reach. "Hell naw. I ain't that self centered Y'know. An' before you ask, the only thin' I want for my birthday is a nap."

"I think you've earned that nap, but what was the problem?"

It's a loaded question, and he feels bad as he watches her reach for her cig back. Holding it out of reach, she looks him in the eyes. Her brown eyes glow like the cherry of her cigarette, with more fire to back it up.

"I told ya, 's not your problem Nero. An' I ain't ready to air out my dirty laundry either. I gots to get my shit together, not you." She said, and he lowers the cig, just enough for her to take it back. Her fingers brush his as she grasps it, taking it away from him as she lifts it to her lips.

"Shame. I don' mind helping you get some of your shit aired out, if you ask."

Nico shakes her head, her curls bouncing as she puts out her cigarette in an ashtray. "I know. Jus' need to handle this," she gestures to herself, "by my lonesome. Now, we better head back. Reckon Kyrie's worried half to death about both of us by now. That little lady is too good for us both."

"You said it Nico. An the sooner we get home, the sooner you can get your nap." He settles in the passenger's seat, waiting as she hops into the driver's seat.

"Hell yeah. Soon as I hit that pillow y'all can all kiss my ass, cause I ain't doing shit for the rest of the day."

Nero grins, tapping the dash over that as she starts driving through the ruined streets. Leaning back, he looks to the woman, seeing her smile in the dying light of the day. "Amen to that. I might just do the same thing myself."

**Author's Note:**

> Yo what is up my lovelies! As I said, the Nero/Nico tag is dry at and I intend on changing that, one fic at a time. Of course, this wasn't exactly the next piece I had intended on posting, still I'm happy with how this one turned out.
> 
> I'd like to give a thank you to one of my friends for helping me out these past few days, as well as for fueling my muse. Faust, if you're reading this, know I love ya and I appreciate all you've done in regards to fueling my writing muse.
> 
> Lastly, for those of you who may wanna talk to me, or send me writing requests, you can either comment here, or b) find me on my writing twitter. My @ is @batberrywrites, and I should be pretty easy to find.
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, please don't hesitate to let me know by leaving Kudos or by commenting!


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